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This winter’s crazy weather in Portland, Oregon finally gave me the time and focus needed to complete the restoration of a very interesting bicycle – a late 40’s/early 50’s Mercier Meca Dural. The frame is constructed with aluminum tubes joined with ornate aluminum lugs and internal steel expanders. The front fork is good old steel, but the rest of the frame is 100% “duralumin” – the same stuff that blimps were made from.

Once I finally had the rear wheel’s axle spacing and dishing issues resolved (the 650b Mavic rims/F.B hubs wheelset installed replace the incorrect 700c wheels on the bike when I acquired it), I could devote time to mounting the 650b tires and dealing with fender line issues. This bike’s beautiful hammered Le Martele Lefol fenders were meant for tires a bit larger than the Panaracer 40 mm Col de la Vie tires I mounted to the the vintage Mavic rims. That meant spacers. And, my favorite spacers are wine corks. Therefore, it was necessary and advisable to open a couple bottles of champagne (the higher priced, the better), to obtain the corks needed to meet this objective. The photos above show the champagne corks installed on the front and rear fenders.

Another issue was the chain line adjustment. Once I had the rear derailleur installed – a NOS Simplex Grand Prix – it became clear that even after adjusting it to push the derailleur as far in toward the frame as possible, and after re-spacing and re-dishing the rear hub, the chain line was off. It was going to be necessary to push the crankset away from the frame, by a few millimeters. Fortunately, with this unique frame’s method of joining of the bottom bracket with brass bolts to the chain stays, I determined that I could remove the bolts, and then re-position the bottom bracket accordingly. I removed the bolts from the frame, lubricated the bottom bracket shell – which is a beautifully machined aluminum cylinder, then began the process of moving it slightly over to the right. This took the work of a mallet as well as my Lozan BB lockring wrench, but finally I moved the BB cylinder enough to provide the chain-line I needed. One of the many interesting things about this bike is that the BB axle is hollow (to save weight) and the crank bolt on the left side is threaded backwards. Something not to forget in the future!

Ideale Model 80 leather saddle

Simplex shifter

Luxor headlight bracket

Luxor 65 headlamp

C.M. calipers with reversed hardware

Vintage french rack, Huret wingnuts

The bike’s leather saddle – an Ideale Model 80 – might be worth more than the bike itself if eBay seller pricing is to be believed. The saddle is a little dry, but after reconditioning it, I think it will prove to be very comfortable. The “C.M.” brake calipers are a long reach mechanism from the 40’s that I used to replace the incorrect CLB 700 brakes that were on the bike when I purchased it. You’ll note from the photo above that I reversed the hardware on the rear brake to accommodate this bike’s brake routing – to allow the cable to enter from underneath the caliper. I also installed a French rear rack from this same era, as the original rack was missing.

The above photo shows that the seat post lug is pinned, as compared to the rest of the lugs on this bike which are joined with internal steel expanders. There were other methods of joining aluminum tubes back in the day when these bikes were built, but I think these Meca Dural examples are likely to survive the test of time. We’ll see once I get this bike out on the road.

Before

After

It’s funny (but not really) that the before and after photos of this bike don’t look that much different. Perhaps what’s different is my perspective – the bike is now ready for a test ride, with appropriate components, and a period-correct restoration to make the bike 100% rideable. I threw my leg over the saddle today just to see how the bike felt and I was startled to find that this bike fits me perfectly. I can’t wait to get it out on the road. For that, the weather gods must provide.

I have dated this bike to the early 1950’s. It is most likely a 1953 model, given the “53” code on the Fratteli Brivio (F.B.) hub cones, the “53” code on the Regina 4 speed freewheel, and the Simplex Tour de France rear derailleur, which matches visually to photos of other TDF models I have located dated as 1953 models (and includes a few features not seen on the late 40’s models). However, there is also a “51” code on the Melas fork mounted dynamo, but an earlier date code for a component such as this doesn’t necessarily indicate the bike’s date of creation.

Oscar Egg lugs. Note the small diameter tubes.

I say “creation” instead of “manufacture”, as clearly this unique mixte, with its Oscar Egg lugs, was a custom build. Unfortunately, there is no headbadge, nor are there logos of any kind present on the frame. However, some barely visible white and orange paint artifacts still remain on the seat tube indicating the presence of transfers which have either faded or were removed. And, on the headtube there is a shadow of what was once an oval or triangular sticker.

The fork is likely not original to the frame. Its brake reach is 7 mm longer than that of the rear brake reach, necessitating the use of longer reach Weinmann 810 sidepulls on the front (with the rear using a Weinmann 730). In addition, the downtube shows evidence of a front impact, further supporting my theory that the original fork was replaced. The fully chromed fork, although in beautiful condition, is not as nicely finished as the rest of the frame, with crude file marks still visible on the inside of the fork crown lug.

The use of a longer fork than original means that the headtube angle is slacker than originally conceived. I measured it at 68 degrees, compared with the 71 degree angle of the seat tube. According to this helpful guide from Damon Rinard, you can determine the effect of using a longer or shorter fork on your bike’s original frame geometry. Conclusion: even fairly large length differences don’t matter all that much. An 11 mm difference in fork length only changes the head angle by .64 degrees. In this case, the slacker angle increased the wheel flop a bit, but the trail measurement of 58 mm and the wheel flop of 20 mm are still well within the normal range.

Ideale TB 14 Saddle

City style Scheeren bars, highly polished, with original grips

Clement tubular rims

Fratelli Brivio (F.B.) hubs

This bike is a study in contrasts. It is built with top end, very light components. As pictured it weighs only 22 lbs. The use of the very best hubs available at the time laced to the Clement tubular rims indicate a rider who wanted speed and comfort, and was willing to pay for it. The timeless Marcel Berthet Lyotard pedals include Christophe toe clips and leather straps, further evidence that the bike was meant for spirited riding. On the other hand, it has slack geometry, city style bars, and a heavy, but comfy Ideale TB 14 saddle. It is also a larger mixte frame, measuring 55 cm x 55 cm, with a very long 109 cm wheelbase. Although there are single fender eyelets front and rear, there are no rack mounts. When cleaning the bike, I found evidence that a rear saddlebag support had been clamped on the seat stays.

The Regina drilled 4 speed Model Fulgur 15-17-19-21 freewheel was an especially nice bit to find on this bike. The teeth show no wear, and with a little oil and cleaning, it looks and sounds brand new. Some freewheels, such as SunTour and Regina, emit an incredibly pleasing sound, and this one is no exception.

After setting up Simplex TDF plunger/pushrod style rear derailleurs more than a few times, I have finally got the hang of it. For this build,the derailleur responds extremely well and shifts as quickly as any modern derailleur, without any over shifting required. Fortunately, I had the original chain, so I was not left to guess about chain length, and I think that helped a lot. The new chain is a bit longer than I would have cut it if I had not had the original.

Titan seatpost, gold lined lugs

Favorit PWB (Prague Warsaw Berlin) crankset

Highly polished stem, bars, and headset.

All of the components had been highly polished, even the Weinmann sidepull calipers. Cleaning them was very easy. The frame took more work, as there was a heavy layer of gunk over the paint. The resulting sparkle was well worth it. I was very surprised at how nicely even the silver paint on the stays cleaned up. The bike really does look impressive. An unusual feature is the curved rear stay, to allow the brake cable to lay flush against the frame.

Curved rear stay

Through the frame wiring for the fork mount dynamo, not yet installed.

Flush mounted levers, Scheeren bars, Phillipe stem

Simplex shifter with helpful cable stops

This was one of those bikes that I wanted to keep as original as possible. However, the frayed brake cable housings had to go, as they were not usable. I have a stash of vintage cable housing in various colors and from various periods. I have found that this silver colored housing which I believe dates to the 1960’s has a really nice vintage-y look. I had a length that was in good condition, so used it to replace the brake cable housing. I decided to keep the shifter cable housing original. Although the outer casing is cracked in areas, far less forces are exerted on shifter housing and the interior coils were fine, so I lubricated the original shifter housing and installed a new cable, which had to be sanded down a bit in order to fit into the Simplex shifter mechanism. I did not install the Melas fork mount dynamo – it had probably failed long ago and was not useable. I hooked up the pretty rear lamp, and will now try to source a fork mount dynamo from the period which has an integrated head lamp.

I’ve got some friction in the rear brake cable, and I suspect I’ll also have a bit of noisy braking when I venture out. So, there’s more effort still to make in getting this bike back on the road. It will be interesting to see how the bike rides, given its contrasting features.

This vintage bicycle has challenged my research abilities. I purchased it recently on eBay and had this basic info from the seller: a post WWII Oscar Egg lugged mixte, no marquis, but probably French built, with top of the line components, including tubular Clement rims laced to F. B. hubs – plus a number of other interesting components that were new to me.

Immediately, I began to wonder about when this bike was made and why there is no marquis or headbadge to indicate the builder. But, I’ll put aside that weighty question, and present these photos taken before disassembly:

A 4 speed Simplex Tour de France rear derailleur mounted on the model-specific and quite robust Simplex dropout. A real contrast to the delicate downtubes and chainstays.

Rare Scheeren alloy handlebars.

Oscar Egg head tube lugs.

Curved seat stay, presumably to allow the rear brake cable to lay flush against the frame

Lugged chrome fork, way more clearance than needed by these narrow 20mm tubulars

Melas fork mount dynamo. The front light is not original.

I am looking forward to having the time to undertake this fascinating restoration project! I have been involved with restoring a number of late ’40s bicycles. This one, I think, will add some depth to my knowledge base.